


Betrayal of the Wicked

by Miko



Series: Wicked Truths [2]
Category: Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-25
Updated: 2012-06-25
Packaged: 2017-11-08 10:16:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/442110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miko/pseuds/Miko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's only one person in the world Albel actually trusts. When that trust is betrayed, there's no one left to turn to. Thankfully, there are a few people NOT on this world that have an interest in Albel's future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Betrayal of the Wicked

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the second story in the series, which was finished about two years ago. I suppose if I keep getting them out at that rate, the third one should be done sometime this year, lol. No promises.
> 
> Each story in this series does stand alone up to a point, but you definitely want to read them in order or they won't make much sense.

Albel sighed and crossed his arms, making no effort to conceal his boredom and irritation. Court functions were annoying at best and always an absolute waste of his time. He avoided them whenever possible, and the other courtiers generally seemed relieved to be spared his presence.

Not even he dared to ignore a Royal Summons, though. Not without damn good reason, and 'I hate court' wasn't nearly reason enough. So here he was, wasting an entire afternoon, just so he could hear whatever proclamation King Airyglyph was making that was so important.

If the king would ever show _up_ , anyway. Albel wasn't the only one who looked bored. Most of the courtiers were clustered in tight groups, whispering to each other behind fans or sleeves. Albel was just about ready to say 'fuck it' and leave when the royal herald finally banged his staff three times and threw open both doors to admit the king.

The moment Albel caught sight of the king's face, he knew something serious was going on. Arzei's expression was tight, a muscle jumping in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. He wasn't happy about something. The last time that look had been on the king's face, Albel had been chained up in the dungeon shortly afterwards.

Come to think of it, that was the last time he'd gotten a summons, too. No longer bored, Albel narrowed his eyes and fought the urge to rest his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Arzei made his way to his throne and sat down, and everyone in the room bowed or curtsied. Even Albel bent his neck, lowering his eyes. The king had actually earned his respect, something very few people in the world - hell, in the universe - had managed to do.

When he glanced up he found the king looking right back at him. Arzei's expression was grim, but there was also a hint of apology there that hadn't been present the last time they'd faced off. Albel felt his shoulders go tight. What the hell was going on? Fuck, he hadn't even _done_ anything that should get him in trouble since the war had ended.

"Albel Nox, captain of the Black Brigade," the king intoned. "Stand before me."

Reluctantly Albel moved to stand before the throne, though he made certain no hesitation showed in his swagger. Courtiers were like predators; show any fear, or even a hint of uncertainty, and they'd go for the kill. Besides, he had his reputation to consider.

"A grave accusation has been made against you," the king said. His voice was soft, but the silence in the room was so absolute his words would carry all the way to the back. "Enough evidence has been presented that I am forced to proceed with this investigation. A claim has been made that you are, in fact, a woman."

Gasps of shock and titillation swept through the room, and the whispering started again. Albel only crossed his arms again and waited for the uproar to die down, saying nothing. It took every ounce of will he possessed to keep from tensing or otherwise betraying himself. Who could possibly have guessed? Who _dared_ to accuse him?

"Well?" the king asked after a long moment. "Have you nothing to say in your own defence?"

"It doesn't seem worth justifying such an absurd claim by saying anything," Albel retorted, his tone as scathing as he could make it. "Are they _blind_? Or just criminally stupid?" He gestured contemptuously at his flat chest, clearly shown by his skin-tight shirt.

One of the courtiers moved to stand across from him. "There have been women in the past, unnatural creatures, who have defied the role the gods decreed for them and passed themselves off as men by using special bindings and corsets. Indeed, one wonders why you feel the need to display your body with such indecency, if not in an attempt to forestall awkward questions?" The lord smirked. "Your choice of clothing has all the respectability of an Aquarian's, otherwise."

That was two deadly insults in one breath, implying that he was either a woman in hiding or an Aquarian spy. Or both, since any woman caught masquerading as a man in Airyglyph was automatically assumed to be an Aquarian spy. Albel narrowed his eyes at the man. So this was his accuser. He knew him vaguely, one Lord Croften, who fancied himself a strategist and a swordsman. He'd made a bid for the Black Brigade when Albel had been imprisoned, but had lost his brief position of prestige when Albel was reinstated. Since he couldn't manage to oust Albel by right of greater skill, it seemed he'd decided to try the underhanded approach.

"What do you want me to do, strip down and show off my manhood in front of the entire court?" Albel mocked him. "I think that would be a damn sight more indecent than my choice of clothes, but if that's what you want..." He reached for the belt that secured his body wrap.

"I don't think we need to go quite that far," the king said hastily. Albel let his hands drop again, smirking at Croften.

He'd hoped his apparent willingness to show off his dick would make the idiot think twice, but Lord Croften merely raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh yes, a very brave offer, when you know the king would allow no such thing. Unfortunately for you, I have proof of my allegations. You'll have to do better than that, if you hope to prove me wrong and retain your honour."

"Oh, really?" Albel snorted. "Let's see it then, maggot." His birth records had been destroyed, both here and in Kirlsa - one in a fire, the other in a flood. With a little clandestine help from him, of course. Only two people in the universe knew his secret for certain, and one of them wasn't even on this planet. What other 'proof' could they possibly offer?

Croften gestured, and another man stepped up beside him. Despite himself, Albel sucked in a sharp breath and stared. "What the _hell_ do you think you're playing at, Woltar?"

"I know you won't believe me, but I am doing this for your own good," Woltar told him, with a convincing imitation of grief in his voice. "I have held my silence as long as I could out of a wish not to dishonour your late father, but I can bear it no more. Lady Albelene, you must end this charade. It brings shame to you, to your family, and to all of Airyglyph."

Albel saw red, and the only answer he could make was an outraged snarl. The traitorous bastard! Woltar had been his father's steward and friend, and he'd known Albel since birth. Everyone knew that, and so his accusation carried more weight than Albel would be able to bluff his way out of.

"What did he offer you, maggot?" he ground out. "Money? Land? A title? What price did he pay to get you to betray me? Is it really worth the price I'm going to take out of your hide?" Woltar of all people should have known better than to double-cross Albel. He knew exactly what Albel was capable of.

"So you admit it, then?" Croften looked triumphant.

"I admit nothing but that he's a liar," Albel snapped. "What good is the word of a man willing to betray his overlord for profit?"

"It is for your own good, my lady," Woltar repeated. "Though it may cost you your life, at least your soul may yet be saved."

"There is a simple way to settle this," the king said wearily. "My own physician will examine Captain Nox. However," his voice chilled, and he gave Croften a serious look. "If your accusation is indeed baseless and intended only to slander the captain, the consequences will be grave. I do not tolerate such petty infighting in my court. If you are wrong, you will be stripped of your title and reduced to a landless knight. Are you still willing to proceed?"

Albel's heart leapt, and he stared at the king. Arzei was trying to force the bastard to back down? Albel had long believed that the king suspected the truth and was looking the other way, but this went beyond that.

Unfortunately, Croften only nodded, not deterred in the least by the threat to his nobility. "I am willing to accept those terms, your majesty." People whispered even louder, and Albel grimaced. The ploy had backfired; that Croften was willing to risk everything meant he was certain of his information. Even if Albel somehow cleared himself, people would always believe it had been a trick. 

Arzei turned to Albel, and now Albel was certain there was an apology in his eyes. With such a public accusation brought before him, the king could not afford to be seen to be breaking the laws. The priesthood would be all over him like a dragon on a maiden sacrifice, and they might well manage to dethrone him if they convinced the populace the gods had turned their eyes from him. "Captain, you will go with the guards to my study. My physician will meet you there."

Albel bowed his head, hands clenched and trembling with fury. He glared at Woltar from beneath his bangs as the guards approached, putting all of his anger and betrayal into his gaze. He at least had the satisfaction of seeing the traitor flinch and turn pale. "You'll _pay_ for this, fool," Albel hissed at him.

Taking a deep breath, he activated one of the runes tattooed on his arm beneath his gauntlet. "Aura wall!"

The spell caught the approaching soldiers off guard, slamming into them in a rapidly expanding circle and forcing them away from him. The courtiers shrieked and erupted into chaos as people scrambled to get out of the way of the phantom wall and the guards' flailing weapons. Albel took advantage of the confusion to draw his sword and sprint for the door. He cut down two overly ambitious guards on his way, but the others wisely appeared not to want to fight him now that he was armed and resisting. 

Once in the relative clear of the hall he bolted for the castle entrance. If they'd thought to bar the gate before making the accusation, he'd be trapped and they'd eventually be able to wear him down with sheer numbers. 

Either they hadn't thought of it, or once again the king was trying to work in his favour, because he jumped down the last of the stairs to find the gates wide open. Albel burst out into the city, ignoring the shocked and confused shouts of the gate guards behind him, and headed _away_ from the city entrance. They'd expect him to try to leave the city, and they could get there on horseback faster than he could on foot. There were places he could hide for the next few days, people who owed him too much to turn him in. He could escape the city and make a break for Kirlsa later.

With every step he took Albel cursed Woltar for turning on him, and cursed the cruel hand of fate that had put him in this position in the first place. If he lived a hundred years he would _never_ understand why the gods had chosen to put a warrior's soul like his into the useless body of a girl.

* * *

"Cliff! It's good to see you again." Nel's smile was warm and genuine as she approached.

"Good to see you, too," Cliff greeted her with a smile of his own. "Couldn't believe it when they said you were captain of the queen's guard, now. Congratulations."

"Her majesty has honoured me greatly," Nel said, bowing her head briefly. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get free to come meet you, but..."

"Duty first, I understand," Cliff said. "No worries."

She smiled again, and joined him at the table. "So what brings you all the way to Aquaria?" she asked as a serving girl brought a glass of wine for her and another tankard of ale for Cliff. "Is everything all right with Fayt?"

"Fayt's fine, s'far as I know," Cliff assured her. "Actually, I came looking for Albel. I've got another job I could use his help on, and he seems to appreciate the chance to get out and kill things sometimes. He's been bored stiff, what with the war being over and all."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Aren't you in the wrong country, then?" she asked, amused. "He's not exactly known for taking pleasure trips to Aquaria, you know."

"Well, that's the funny thing." Cliff frowned, and fiddled with his mug. "I went to Airyglyph, and couldn't get anybody to even admit they knew his name, let alone tell me where he was. It was like they were trying to pretend he doesn't exist."

"Really? How strange." Nel tapped her nails on the table, thinking. "Actually, I've been hearing rumours lately that Airyglyph's army is in _some_ kind of uproar, but they've been very tightlipped about the whole thing. None of my agents is certain just what is going on. I was thinking about contacting him myself, to see if he could tell me anything."

"I checked the dungeon," Cliff said dryly. "Just in case. There was no sign of him down there. I thought maybe if he was in trouble, he might have come to you."

"Not likely." Nel shook her head. "He's too distinctive, and too disliked here. Without me escorting him, he'd be attacked the moment he set foot across the border. He made a lot of enemies during the war - the sort of enemies with long memories."

"And you haven't heard from him, obviously." Cliff sighed. "Okay, now I'm getting worried. Maybe I should take a closer look around Airyglyph. If I cause enough fuss for him to hear about it, he might come out of hiding." Surely he wasn't _dead_. Somebody would have said something, and anyway Cliff was quite certain there was nobody in Airyglyph capable of taking out Albel. The bastard was too damned strong.

"You might try looking in Kirlsa before you start ransacking the capital," Nel suggested. "That's his family's land, and I'm fairly certain they have a manor there. Not to mention it's the headquarters of the Black Brigade. If I was him and I had to hole up somewhere, I'd do it where I was in a position of strength."

"Right, good point." Cliff nodded and drained the last of his ale, and stood. "I'll let you know when I find something."

"Do you want to take some of my soldiers with you?" Nel offered. "I'd go myself, but I can't leave the queen for that long."

"Nah." Cliff shook his head and flashed her a grin. "I doubt they'd be any more welcome there than Albel would be here. You just worry about the queen; I'll take care of Albel. How much trouble could he possibly be in?" She just looked at him, and he grimaced. "Never mind."

* * *

Ducking around a corner to avoid another pair of patrolling Black Brigade soldiers, Cliff cursed under his breath. He stood out too damned much in his modern clothes, and everybody knew he was Albel's friend. The Black Brigade had been hounding him from the moment he'd set foot in Kirlsa, and he'd had to fight his way out of the last encounter. Clearly, Albel hadn't gone to them to take shelter from whatever the fuck was going on.

That Albel was in serious trouble, Cliff no longer had any doubt. The only question was how Cliff was supposed to _find_ the bastard when the people who actually lived here couldn't manage it.

Peeking around the corner, Cliff made certain there were no soldiers in sight before he headed across the square. Maybe he ought to go back and take Nel up on her offer? Searching the city would be easier with more eyes on the job. Then again, Airyglyph might not take too kindly to the notion of Aquarian soldiers invading Kirlsa to rescue a fugitive. It hadn't been _that_ long since the two countries were at war.

" _Hsst_."

The sound was only a hiss, barely audible, but it drew Cliff's attention. He paused at a fruit stall and pretended to examine the blueberries, while he actually glanced around the area. The only person near him other than the stall's owner was a tall, slender girl dressed in the local style, with her hair braided up under the hooded cape she wore for warmth. Cliff sighed in disappointment. Just a girl flirting with him. Not that he didn't appreciate the attention, but he really didn't have the time.

Then she turned and briefly looked back at him over her shoulder before turning onto a different street, and Cliff barely managed to stop his jaw from dropping. There was no mistaking the murderous glare in those demonic red eyes. It was either Albel in a dress, or he had a twin sister Cliff had never heard of.

Doing his best to make it look casual, Cliff hurried into the alley next to the one Albel had taken. There was a cross-street further down, and Cliff didn't want anyone noticing that he'd taken an interest in the girl.

Sure enough Albel was waiting for him in a dark corner ahead. "What are you doing here?" he demanded the moment Cliff was close enough to hear the whisper.

"Looking for you, actually," Cliff replied, keeping his voice just as low. "What in the cosmos have you gotten yourself into?"

Albel ground his teeth, his eyes snapping with fury. The anger was familiar, but what Cliff would never have expected to see was the hint of desperation beneath it. Albel's face was gaunt like he'd lost weight, and he'd already been nothing more than whipcord over bone. His dress was too short and rather grubby, as well. Hell, just the fact that he was _in_ a dress said more than words ever could about the state he was in.

"There's a maggot at court who thinks he'd make a better captain of the Black Brigade than I do," Albel muttered. "He decided to accuse me of being a woman in disguise in front of the whole fucking court."

Cliff's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Is he out of his mind?" Even knowing the truth - hell, even looking at Albel right now, Cliff still wasn't entirely sure he believed it. There was no way anybody who didn't already know would think to accuse Albel of being a woman.

"Fucking Woltar sold me out," Albel spat, his voice bitter. Cliff knew him just well enough to catch the note of real hurt buried deep beneath the anger. "With that kind of pressure, the king _had_ to investigate."

"If they know, isn't that kind of a crappy disguise?"

Albel snorted. "Half of them don't really believe it, they think it's just political. And the ones that do believe would still never think I'd lower myself to this." His cheeks burned with something more than just anger, but Cliff didn't think commenting on it would be good for his continued survival.

"Well, you fooled me until I saw your eyes, so I guess it's working well enough," Cliff agreed. Now that he was looking closer, he could see another major factor that would contribute to the confusion; Albel wasn't wearing the thick metal collar that had been around his neck as long as Cliff had known him. Seeing the slender column of his throat bare for the first time was disconcerting, and it highlighted the obvious lack of a prominent Adam's apple. No wonder Albel had welded the collar on so nobody could remove it. "You can't hide forever, though. Now what?"

"I've been holed up in the mines, coming out like this to get food," Albel admitted. "I was waiting for the worst to die down, then I was going to find a way across Aquaria to Greeton or somewhere."

"It doesn't seem to be easing off," Cliff told him. "The entire Black Brigade is out for your blood. They've been harassing me since I got here."

"Their honour is at stake," Albel said. "If it turns out their captain really is a _woman_ , they'll be the laughingstock of Airyglyph. At least if they're the ones to bring me in, they'll get a little pride back. I should have realized that, but Kirlsa is the only place I know well enough to be certain I could evade pursuit."

Movement at the mouth of the alley attracted Cliff's attention, and he swore as he saw more of the Black Brigade. "Don't kill me," Cliff interrupted Albel, heart thudding in his chest. Before Albel could question him, Cliff grabbed his companion by the shoulder and waist, and leaned in close. He brought his face right next to Albel's, angling away from the soldiers so that it would look like Cliff was kissing the 'girl'.

Albel had gone tense in his arms. Cliff swallowed hard as he felt the prick of metal claws digging into his thigh, dangerously close to his groin. "Soldiers, idiot," he breathed out. "Just play along!"

The claws didn't press any further, but they didn't vanish, either. And the damned soldiers had decided to come their way. Much closer, and they would realize the deception.

Cursing under his breath, Albel snaked his good arm around Cliff's neck and closed the gap between them. He still didn't move his other hand and the threat was clear, so Cliff decided he was more than happy to let Albel control how far to take things.

Except Albel obviously had very little idea what he was doing. His kiss was awkward and hard, far more angry than passionate. Not surprising, but it wasn't going to hold water with the soldiers who were now almost on top of them. Hoping he wasn't about to get himself castrated, Cliff took control of the kiss. He didn't try to gentle it, because Albel and gentle just weren't going to happen. Instead he deepened it, pressing with his tongue and shifting his body so he was pinning Albel against the wall - and not incidentally, using his larger bulk to hide the way Albel's clothes fit him so poorly.

Albel made a startled noise, but didn't maim him. The soldiers were laughing and making lewd comments, and seemed to be in no rush to leave. Cliff heartily wished them to hell, because if they didn't get lost _soon_ he was afraid he was going to forget himself. Albel tasted good and felt better, fighting Cliff for control again because he just wasn't the passive type. His breasts weren't bound down, and Cliff could feel them pressed against his chest. It was making Cliff think things that were pretty much tantamount to suicide. Like what might happen if he inched his hand up from Albel's waist...

Albel growled and rune energy built between them. For a bizarre moment Cliff thought the other man had somehow read his mind and he was about to die. But it was the soldiers who made choked noises and collapsed, not Cliff.

Breaking the kiss quickly, Cliff stepped back and looked at the men. They lay with the curious stillness that indicated they were dead, not just unconscious, which meant Albel had used one of his energy-absorbing runes. They could suck the life out of a man in far less time than it took to physically kill him.

"That works too," Cliff acknowledged, hoping he didn't sound as breathless and shaken as he felt. Glancing down at his leg, he confirmed that there were bloody little holes in the leather. Nothing worse than a scratch, it didn't even need medical attention, but it let him pretend that fear of castration was what had his heart pounding so hard in his chest.

"They looked like they were settling in for the show," Albel snarled, glaring at the dead men. "They were _supposed_ to be searching for me. I'm gone for a week and discipline is already this lax? Pathetic."

Cliff coughed to hide a laugh. Trust Albel to kill them not because they were dangerous or even in the way, but because he was affronted by their lack of discipline. Serving under him must have been a nightmare for the members of the Black Brigade.

"Well, one thing's for sure," Cliff said. "You can't stay here. My shuttle's just outside, but I can't exactly land it in the city square. We have to get you to it, but you'd better believe they're gonna be looking closely at anyone I leave the city with, man or woman." 

Albel turned the glare on him, then looked away again quickly. If Cliff hadn't valued his life, he could have teased the man about the flush on his cheeks. "If I could think of a way to get out of the city without getting caught, I wouldn't _be_ here," he said scathingly. "They've got the mountain path closed off as well."

A thought occurred to Cliff, and he frowned. "There is one idea that might work, but you're not gonna like it."

"Because my alternative options are so appealing?" Albel snapped. "It can't be any worse than living in the mines for the rest of my very short life. What is it?"

"Nel offered to send some of her people with me to help look for you," Cliff explained, rocking back and forth on his heels. "That would be reasonable, everyone knows you and I are friends with her, and she's got all kinds of pull in Aquaria."

"Bringing in more people just means more people are going to get hurt or killed," Albel retorted. "If your great plan is just to fight our way out, our best chance is with nobody but you and me."

"I'm not saying I should _actually_ bring anyone in," Cliff said. "Just that it would be reasonable for them to think I had. So if I left with a woman in an Aquarian uniform, they won't think anything of it. It means I'll have to leave the shuttle in Aquaria and we walk that far or it'd look suspicious, but that's not a huge deal."

Albel went still. "You want me to pass myself off as an Aquarian soldier," he said flatly. " _Both_ countries would have my head for that."

"Only if they catch you." Cliff shrugged. "If you can think of a better idea, I'm all ears."

Grinding his teeth, Albel paced back and forth a bit, kicking one of the dead soldiers for good measure as he passed. "Where the hell would we get one of their uniforms?"

"Where else? Nel," Cliff said. "Hell, for that matter, smartest thing to do would be to bring someone back with me, have you wear her clothes, and let her walk back out as a civilian. That way the guards see me entering with someone as well as leaving."

Still Albel worried at the idea, obviously trying to come up with something better. "Why 'her' clothes?" he demanded. "There _are_ men in the Aquarian army, contrary to what some Glyphians believe."

"You said it yourself, people are a lot more likely to realize it's you if you're dressed as a guy," Cliff countered. "What's the big deal?" Cliff might have assumed Albel was simply balking at the idea of dressing like a woman, except he was wearing a dress right now. And it wasn't an objection to wearing the enemy's uniform, or he wouldn't be suggesting using a male soldier.

It was hard to tell in the dim light, but Cliff thought Albel's cheeks went from pink to red. "They're... _indecent_ ," he finally ground out. "The women's uniforms are completely shameless, showing off their bodies like that. It's disgusting, I'm not wearing that."

Astonished, Cliff stared at him. Nel and her girls had seemed adequately covered to him. Granted Albel's current outfit - and all the Glyphian women Cliff had seen so far - covered pretty much every inch of skin below the neck, but he'd assumed that was more to do with the difference in climate and the need to be able to fight. Hell, Albel's normal outfit of a skin-tight crop top and hip wrap slit all the way to his upper thigh was a damn sight more revealing than the standard Aquarian woman's uniform. "Nel wears more than you do," he protested.

"That's different!" Albel insisted. "People think I'm male then. They're not gaping at my exposed body."

Cliff shook his head. He would never, ever understand the prudish morals of backwater societies. "Like I said, if you've got a better idea, speak up."

Again Albel paced, but there _was_ no better suggestion and they both knew it. The approach of heavy booted footsteps told them another patrol was coming, and Albel swore and grabbed for Cliff. They arranged themselves against the wall again, their faces inches apart, and Albel glared bloody murder at him.

" _Fine_ ," Albel hissed, barely audible as the troopers paused in the alley mouth. Thankfully these two limited themselves to chuckles and a couple of lewd suggestions before continuing on, and didn't come close enough to see the bodies of the other soldiers hidden in the shadows. "Fine, I'll do it, just get me the hell out of here before I slaughter the whole fucking town out of sheer frustration."

The terrifying thing was that Cliff was pretty sure he meant it literally.

* * *

Cliff was grateful that Nel didn't make him explain the whole story, agreeing to lend him a guard the moment he asked. He was kind of hoping to be able to be able to get Albel through the border and back to his normal self before Nel ever saw him. Eventually the rumours would make it as far as Aquaria, but Nel would probably dismiss them as ridiculous the same way Cliff would have if he hadn't known the truth.

The woman he chose to take with him was tall and well-muscled, built much like Albel and with similar long dark hair. She didn't know anything but that she was supposed to be helping him get a refugee out of Kirlsa, so she readily agreed to switch her uniform with civilian clothing and let them return ahead of her. 

Getting her out of the uniform was easy. Getting Albel _into_ it turned out to be considerably more difficult. "I've changed my mind," the Glyphian said when Cliff found him, holed up in a tiny side corridor of the mines. Albel was in his own clothes again, though he still had the long cloak wrapped around him so he could hide if necessary and the metal collar was still missing. 

"They've doubled the guard on the mines," Cliff told him, leaning against a nearby support. "I barely managed to get in. From what I overheard, they're planning to do a thorough sweep of every corridor at once."

"I don't care," Albel insisted. His hand was so tight on the hilt of his sword that Cliff could see the whiteness of his knuckles even in the flickering lantern light. "Fuck it, I'm just fighting my way out. This is ridiculous."

Cliff could have kept arguing. He could have mentioned the Dragon Brigade squad that he'd seen forming up just outside the city. He could have pointed out that Albel wasn't exactly in top fighting condition after hiding out for so long with limited resources. He could have said that if there was any chance of Albel making it out alive, he'd already be gone.

Instead he shrugged, and tossed the bag containing the Aquarian uniform to the ground. "Have it your way, then. I think we'll have a better chance if we try to go through the back exit and take the long way to Arias."

Albel opened his mouth, eyes snapping and fists clenched, as if he'd been expecting an argument. He paused before he got the first word out, and blinked. Cliff just waited, arms crossed over his chests and one eyebrow raised. After a moment Albel shook his head and tried again, eyeing him warily like he suspected a trap. "That's it? You're just going to go off and get yourself killed with me?"

"I'm not going to pin you down and force you into the clothes, idiot," Cliff said. "If you won't, you won't."

"You could just leave," Albel pointed out. "This isn't your problem."

"Sure I could," Cliff agreed easily. "If I wanted Fayt and the others to kick my ass for abandoning you. Besides, I've gotten used to having you around, annoying as you are." Once upon a time Cliff probably _would_ have just left him there, reasoning that it was Albel's choice and there was no point in both of them dying. But Albel wasn't the only one who'd been changed by close association with Fayt. They'd all been through too much together, and Cliff could no more turn his back on Albel than he would have been able to abandon Mirage.

Albel glared at him a little longer, maybe trying to wait him out. Cliff was pretty sure he had at least three times the patience the hot-headed Glyphian did, so he just kicked back and relaxed against the wall. Sure enough after a long moment Albel growled and snatched up the bag. "I _am_ going to kill you one of these days," Albel said conversationally. "It's going to be long, and slow, and _very_ painful, and I'm going to enjoy every second of it."

"You know, you keep saying that," Cliff said with no little amusement. "But you never actually get around to doing it."

"I'm drawing it out to build up the anticipation," Albel informed him. "Now get the fuck out of here so I can change."

"I can't go far, there are patrols everywhere," Cliff told him, moving to the mouth of the tunnel and fixing his eyes firmly on the far wall. This would just have to do. "It's not like I'm going to peek."

Much.

Actually on second thought, Cliff thought Albel might just carry out the threat he was constantly making if he caught Cliff peeping on him while he changed. Clearing his throat, Cliff fixed his eyes firmly on the wall across from him and resolved not to even twitch. As jumpy as Albel tended to be about revealing his true sex, if he so much as suspected Cliff was contemplating it, he'd probably gut him.

He couldn't do anything about the sounds, though. As he stood there listening to the rustle of fabric and soft cursing behind him, Cliff's imagination was more than happy to fill in the gaps. He'd seen Albel mostly naked once - granted, the man had been bleeding and burned and half-drowned at the time, but the memory of the shape of his body was etched into Cliff's mind. Largely because he'd stood there staring for so long, totally in shock.

The equally indelible memory of the feel of Albel's body against his as they'd kissed the day before wasn't helping any. Albel had a damned fine body; strong and muscled, tough enough to handle anything Cliff could dish out and then some, but curved in just the right places. Cliff couldn't have pictured a more perfect woman if he'd tried. He bit down hard on his lip to stop a betraying groan from escaping him. Squeezing his eyes shut, he did his best to concentrate on glaciers and blizzards and anything else that was the opposite of the living fire that was Albel.

Finally he heard Albel approaching behind him, and he assumed that meant it was safe for him to turn around. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder first, just to be sure. Albel was still glaring, but he was decent.

Well, decent by Cliff's standards, anyway. It was obvious that _he_ didn't feel decent. His posture was awkward, as if he was fighting the urge to try to cover himself. Or possibly fighting the urge to punch Cliff out for looking. 

Cliff couldn't help himself, his eyes dropped to Albel's chest, and he had to admit that the uniform was... designed to enhance. Even unbound Albel didn't have much in the way of breasts, but they were high and firm and pretty much perfectly framed by the low neckline of the breastplate. No wonder Nel wore a scarf wrapped around her neck and tucked into the armour. It wasn't just to combat the increased cold of the high altitude in Airyglyph.

A sharp pain below his chin made Cliff realize two things - one, that he was staring, and two, that Albel was still wearing his gauntlet. The tip of one claw dug into the soft point beneath his jaw, forcing his head up until Cliff was straining his neck and up on tiptoe to keep from being spitted.

"Had a good look?" Albel asked, his voice the low purr that was usually a precursor to a great deal of blood being spilled.

"Nng... c'mon, I'm still in shock over the idea of it," Cliff protested, the words emerging somewhat muffled. It was rather awkward to talk with his jaw pinned like that. "You can't blame me for gaping."

"You weren't gaping, you were ogling," Albel said, all but hissing in indignation. "Just like all the others - show you a pair of breasts and the only thing you can think about is how fast you can get under her skirt. Not like a woman is good for anything else."

Was there a note of betrayal under the anger in his voice? Cliff had to wonder how many times Albel had listened to the men under his command gossiping about the latest wench they'd tumbled - or the latest enemy soldier they'd raped. Had he ever wondered if they would turn on him if they knew the truth? Actually the question was probably how _often_ he'd thought of that. Not that Albel couldn't have taken them all with one hand tied behind his back, but maybe that was part of why he was so very vicious in battle.

Cliff chose his next words very carefully. A lie would be obvious and would probably get him killed, but the truth might get him castrated and _then_ killed. Still, he thought honesty was the better policy. "Look, Albel, I won't deny that I think you're hot as a woman. I thought you were hot as a guy, too!"

The little sound of shock Albel made might have been funny under other circumstances. "You were attracted to me when you thought I was a guy?"

"I prefer women, always have, which is why I find you hotter as a girl," Cliff said. "Fuck, for that matter I thought you worked that dress pretty damn hard even when I thought you were in drag. It sure as hell doesn't mean I think any less of you." 

If anything that made Albel dig his claw in harder still, and now he was growling. "Mirage, remember Mirage?" Cliff tried, a little desperately. "You'd better believe I respect her as a fighter - she'd pulp me if I didn't. Doesn't mean I haven't appreciated the sight of her in a bathing suit or a tight dress now and then over the years. Frankly I find strong women a lot more attractive."

Finally Albel lowered his hand, enough to let Cliff go flat-footed and drop his head to meet Albel's gaze. He didn't remove the threat entirely, and the look in his eyes was still half mad with fury, but Cliff took it as a good sign. "I'm _not like_ the Glyphians, I don't see any reason why a woman can't be hot as hell _and_ kickass. All the better if she's both," Cliff said softly, trying to show his conviction in both his voice and his eyes. It was true, after all.

"Hn. Just don't get any ideas," Albel said. Cliff breathed a sigh of relief as the other man pulled his claws away at last and stepped back. "I will kick your balls so hard they'll knock your teeth out if you try anything, got it?"

"I like my partners willing, thank you," Cliff snapped, rubbing at the blood seeping from the cut on his chin. Now that Albel wasn't two seconds from killing him, he thought it was safe to take a bit of offence of his own. "And I'm fully aware that you can kick my ass and hand it back to me in pieces. Will you just bloody well accept that I still respect you and move on?"

"Maybe," Albel muttered, turning away. With obvious reluctance he removed his gauntlet, offering it to Cliff for safekeeping. "Break it, and..."

"You'll take it out of my hide, I know," Cliff cut him off, rolling his eyes. He took the gauntlet with the appropriate care, though. "Get those gloves on, and let's get out of here. The sooner we're gone, the sooner you can change back." _And stop being so damned twitchy,_ he added silently to himself. At least when Albel was dressed like a guy, he wasn't as likely to kill Cliff just for looking.

* * *

They did run into a sticky spot at the town gate, where a Black Brigade corporal demanded they submit to a strip search. Cliff wasn't sure if the man was suspicious or just being lewd, but either way it spelled trouble. The horrible burn scar on Albel's left arm was unmistakeable, and if the soldiers got a good look there was no way they could fail to identify him.

"Are you trying to start an international incident?" Albel snapped at the smirking corporal. He was using what Cliff now thought of as his 'girl voice', low and sultry but definitely feminine, though it was subtly different from the last time Cliff had heard it. After a moment he realized the other man must be faking an Aquarian accent. The two countries used the same language and sounded pretty much the same through Cliff's translator, but to a local the difference would probably be immediately obvious.

"We're under orders to search everyone, ma'am," the guard replied, unruffled. "We're looking for a dangerous fugitive."

Albel's glare intensified a notch, and Cliff reflected that this particular soldier must not ever have been chewed out by his captain before, or he'd surely have recognized that look. Not to mention he'd have been smart enough to be pissing himself in fear rather than swaggering and posturing like he was in control.

"A fugitive," Albel repeated. "And you think I'm hiding him somewhere under my armour, do you?" He gestured contemptuously at his clothes. There was no sign of the discomfort and embarrassment he'd shown when he'd first put them on. Cliff had to give him this much, he was a damned good actor.

"Yep, she's Aquarian all right," one of the other soldiers muttered to his companion. "Shameless trollop." Cliff could tell Albel had heard as well by the way his glare flicked to the soldier who'd spoken, but thankfully he didn't do anything incriminating like blushing or gutting the man.

"My orders..." the corporal repeated, but Albel cut him off with a slashing motion.

"Lay one finger on me and I'll not only cut it off, I'll report the matter to the queen," Albel told him, chin high and expression haughty. "I'm here under diplomatic immunity, so if you want to be responsible for restarting the war, be my guest. I certainly wouldn't mind having something to do other than boring patrols."

They locked gazes and tried to stare each other down. Cliff was amused that it took less than ten seconds for the corporal to back off. On second thought, he was amused it had taken that long. "We'll be watching you," the guard warned as he moved aside to let them pass through Kirlsa's gate.

Albel stalked through as if he owned the place - which, if Cliff understood what Nel had meant about it being 'his family's land', he very well might. Feudal hierarchies weren't exactly Cliff's area of expertise, but he was starting to suspect Albel was some kind of nobility. The soldiers cat-called after him. "Know your place, wench." "Back to the kitchen with ye!"

"It's not worth it," Cliff told him, not bothering to lower his voice. A real Aquarian soldier might well have been tempted to turn back and teach the men a lesson, too. "Attack them without provocation, and _you'll_ be the one restarting the war. I don't think the queen would be very happy." Especially once she realized just who the 'Aquarian soldier' responsible for the incident really was.

"You think I haven't heard it before?" Albel retorted, his voice low and bitter. His shoulders were tight, and there was an old, deep pain joining the fury in his eyes. "I led those men for years. They love to bitch about how Aquarian women don't know their place and should go back to raising babies and keeping house like a woman is supposed to."

They didn't bother going through the official border post, cutting overland using the same trail Cliff had once followed Fayt along. Albel wanted to stop pretty much the moment they were on Aquarian soil and change back to his normal clothes, not to mention put his gauntlet back on, but Cliff vetoed the idea after remembering what Nel had said. Albel was too damn recognizable, and too intensely disliked in Aquaria. Keeping him in disguise until they were in the relative safety of the palace was their only chance of making it to Aquios without a fight.

Unfortunately Nel had apparently gotten worried enough to ask the queen for leave, because they ran into her in Arias. "Cliff," she exclaimed as she hurried towards them. Cliff was amused to note that her eyes slid right past Albel, seeing the uniform and obviously feminine figure and not looking any further. "I thought I'd better come meet you, so he wouldn't start a riot. You still weren't able to find him? Now I'm getting worried."

"And here I thought you were the one intelligent person in Aquaria," Albel growled. 

The words and incongruously familiar low voice made Nel's gaze snap to him, but it obviously took her brain a moment to catch up with what her subconscious had already realized. "What are you... _Albel_?" she interrupted herself, staring as she met his eyes and conscious recognition kicked in.

"What the hell are you gaping at?" he snapped at her, the flush in his cheeks offsetting the anger in his eyes. He turned to Cliff and held out his hand imperiously. "Gauntlet. _Now_. Nobody's going to attack me while we're with her. And I swear if I don't get somewhere to change in the next thirty seconds, I'm fucking stripping down right here in the street. I want my own damned clothes!"

"You. Uh." Nel shook her head and seemed to force her attention back to the conversation, though she still sounded dazed. "You can change in my room at Arias headquarters. This way."

"Why the _hell_ are your fucking uniforms so damned revealing, anyway?" Albel snarled as she led them into the manor. He tugged at the chestplate, trying futilely to get it to cover more of his bosom.

"It distracts the Glyphians," Nel told him absently, clearly more than a little distracted herself and trying not to stare. She was failing, but Cliff had to give her points for making the attempt. He hadn't bothered, the first time he'd seen the truth. "They tend to spend more time leering at us than shooting at us."

Albel stopped dead in the hallway, staring at her in turn. Cliff was a little surprised himself to hear such a logical reason. After a moment Albel snorted in reluctant amusement and continued. "Fair enough," he muttered. "I certainly had to deal with the problem often enough."

" _You_ did?" Cliff blurted out unthinkingly. Was Albel more of a guy inside than he'd realized? But he'd once told Cliff that he wouldn't have bothered with the disguise if it wasn't necessary to allow him to fight, and despite his protests that he would kill Cliff for trying anything, he hadn't seemed turned off by that kiss. Maybe he was bi?

"With the men under my command, fool," Albel said, giving him a dirty look. "My discipline is better than that, regardless."

Nel stopped and gestured at a door, and Albel snatched the bag with his things from Cliff and stormed inside, slamming it shut behind him. For a long moment Nel just stood there staring at the door in a daze, and finally Cliff had to chuckle.

"It's not polite to stare, you know," he told her. "Keep your jaw hanging open like that, and flies are gonna start investigating."

She snapped her mouth shut, and had the grace to look embarrassed. "And how long did it take you to stop staring?" she asked dryly.

"Oh, at least the first couple of hours," Cliff admitted cheerfully. "Or until I lost sight of him, whichever came first."

"Him?" Nel repeated, one eyebrow raised.

"Are you kidding me?" Cliff laughed outright. "Hey, if you wanna refer to him as a girl, it's your funeral. He's made it pretty clear what he'd prefer. I gotta admit, you're taking this better than I thought you would. Took me weeks to get over the shock."

"Weeks?" Nel blinked at him. "You already knew?"

"Found out last time I took him on a mission with me," Cliff said. He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. "We were captured, and things got ugly. I was sure he was gonna kill me for finding out, but he's taking his sweet time about it. So why _are_ you taking this so well?"

"It explains a lot, actually," Nel said, shaking her head.

"It _does_?" Now it was Cliff's turn to stare at her. He was _still_ trying to process the idea, and she thought it made sense?

Her answering smile was laced with regret and resentment. "About his attitude, the way he's so angry all the time. Do you have any idea how many women cross the border every year, seeking asylum in Aquaria? All they want is a chance to live their lives under their own control, instead of belonging to whatever husband or father or brother has charge of them. By Glyphian law and belief, women are animals, not people."

"I can _hear_ you, you know," Albel snapped through the door, before he yanked it open. He was dressed in his own clothes and the gauntlet was firmly in place, but the metal collar seemed to be gone for good. He also had his hair completely unbound, the first time Cliff had ever seen it down all the way. It fell past his ass in waves of brown shading from nearly black at the crown to gold at the ends. Despite the familiar clothing he looked more like a girl than usual. 

"Obviously," Cliff told him with a grin. "Otherwise I'd have been talking behind your back, and I wouldn't do that."

Somewhat mollified, Albel stepped aside and let them enter, moving to grab one of the long strips of cloth that normally bound his hair into tails. Holding one end in his mouth, he started wrapping the other end around a thick handful of hair with motions that were obviously automatic after years of practice. Cliff tried not to regret that he was doing it. Albel was attractive with his hair down - and that was definitely a bad thing for Cliff's continued good health.

Nel sat on the chair by the bed, and Cliff shut the door and leaned against it. From there he'd be able to hear footsteps in the hall, and hopefully prevent them from being eavesdropped on. It was one thing for Nel to find out, but all of Aquaria didn't need to know.

"So what are you gonna do?" he asked. "Keep going to Greeton or wherever?"

"Greeton would be a good place to hide, except they might not let you in," Nel murmured thoughtfully. "They're notoriously reluctant to get involved with anyone from Aquaria or Airyglyph, afraid to get drawn into the war. Even if they do grant you sanctuary, you wouldn't be able to _do_ anything. Quite frankly you'd have to travel a long way to find a place where nobody's ever heard of Albel the Wicked, and otherwise they're going to have you under constant watch."

Albel clenched his fist, but said nothing for a long moment as he finished tying off his hair. When he did speak, his voice was low. "I need to be able to fight, damn it, or everything I've done has been for nothing. I might as well have stayed home and followed the laws, and at least my father would still be alive."

"Not to mention that you get exponentially more dangerous when you're bored," Cliff drawled. "I don't think you _could_ go a week without fighting, short of being chained up in a dungeon."

Albel smirked. "What makes you think I didn't do any fighting in the dungeon?" he asked, and Cliff inclined his head to acknowledge the point. 

It also underscored _his_ point. "You're a fighter; body, mind, and soul. You'll go insane without an outlet for that aggression. More insane," Cliff corrected himself, and ducked the punch Albel aimed at him. "My offer of a job on my crew is still open, you know. I really could use you. And you don't have to hide, on the Diplo. None of the rest of Quark will give a shit if you're a guy or a girl or a hermaphrodite. The only people who even know you are Mirage and Maria, and they're not gonna care any more than I do."

Albel looked at him warily from under his bangs, maybe assessing his sincerity. Or gauging the level of pity that was involved in the offer. "Same pay as the rest of the fighting crew," Cliff coaxed him. "Plus you get quarters on the ship all to yourself, all the synthesized food you can stuff yourself with, and a hazard bonus for the really dangerous missions." Most of the crew had to share quarters, but he didn't think it would be a good idea to try to stuff Albel into a small space with anyone else. Male or female, it was asking for trouble. Maria would understand.

Albel's head came up at the mention of pay, and Cliff thought it was that more than anything else that convinced him the offer was genuine. "All right, fine. If you're going to keep nagging me about it." His tone was grudging, but Cliff saw a hint of relief in the other man's expression.

"It does seem like the best solution," Nel said. "I'd offer you a place here - _I_ trust you, and the queen trusts my judgement. But..."

"But you'd have riots in the ranks," Albel finished for her. He snorted. "Not to mention Airyglyph might well declare war again if they realize you're harbouring me. Hell, they'll say it's proof I was a double agent all along."

"Not a good idea," Nel agreed with a sigh.

Albel went to the window, which happened to face west. In the near distance the beginning of Airyglyph's mountain range was visible, and he stared at it. "Either way, I'll never set foot in my home again." Then, perhaps realizing how that had sounded, he turned and glared at them both. "Not that I care. They turned on me, why the hell should I want to go back."

Cliff raised his hands, and didn't comment. Nel wisely held her tongue as well. Cliff had been surprised by Albel's intense loyalty to his country in the past, but he could appreciate it. Wasn't that exactly why Cliff had become a terrorist and fugitive in the first place, because he loved Klaus enough to want to protect it even though he disagreed with what the government thought was best? At least he could return home whenever he wanted to, for all that his father was disappointed in him and the Federation would throw a fit if they realized Klaus still sheltered him.

"You know you're going to regret taking me with you," Albel told him, recovering his usual smirk. "Don't think I'm going to just meekly take your orders."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Cliff said, laughing. "You wouldn't be you if you weren't causing problems. Just try not to kill any of my crew? Finding replacements I can trust is a bitch."

"No promises," Albel said, which was about what Cliff had expected. "If we're going to go, then let's get the fuck out of here already, before somebody realizes I'm here and tells Airyglyph."

"I may not be able to offer you asylum, but if there _is_ anything I can ever do to help, don't hesitate to ask," Nel said, smiling at him. 

"Fuck, I'm going to drown in sap if you two keep this shit up," Albel complained. But Cliff noted that he didn't reject the offer, either.

Already Albel looked better than he had before. His shoulders were straighter, and that hint of desperation had vanished from his gaze. Cliff hadn't realized how much he'd looked off until he could see the difference. No matter how much trouble he caused - and he _would_ cause trouble, he was right about that - Cliff wouldn't regret offering him the job if it gave him that strength and confidence back.


End file.
